The present disclosure relates to an operation device, an image forming apparatus, and an operation method. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a technique for enabling a user to input a desired setting condition without being confused about a key operation even if the interchangeabilities of the names of keys are different between companies.
Conventionally, as a facsimile apparatus that enhances the confidentiality of communication content, an apparatus employing facsimile communication using a confidential communication method is known. In the case of the facsimile apparatus employing facsimile communication using a confidential communication method, a transmitting-end facsimile apparatus stores a first confidential code (an identification code) input through an input portion, and compares the first confidential code with a second confidential code received from a receiving-end facsimile apparatus. If the first confidential code matches the second confidential code, the transmitting-end facsimile apparatus transmits image data of a transmission document sheet to the receiving-end facsimile apparatus.
In addition, the transmitting-end facsimile apparatus adds the first confidential code input through the input portion to the image data of the transmission document sheet when transmitting the image data. The receiving-end facsimile apparatus stores the received image data together with the first confidential code in a memory. When the second confidential code has been input through an input portion, the receiving-end facsimile apparatus obtains from the memory the image data to which the first confidential code that matches the second confidential code has been added, and the receiving-end facsimile apparatus performs the print output of the image data.
In the conventional facsimile apparatus employing facsimile communication using a confidential communication method, however, the manufacturing company of the facsimile apparatus controls the transmission and the reception of the confidential codes by a method uniquely determined by the manufacturing company. Thus, if the facsimile apparatus communicates with a facsimile apparatus manufactured by another company, the model of the transmitting-end facsimile apparatus and the model of the receiving-end facsimile apparatus are different from each other, and therefore do not have communication compatibility. Thus, it is not possible to achieve confidential communication.
In response to such a problem, a facsimile apparatus is known that can perform facsimile communication using a confidential communication method in accordance with a transmission control procedure standardized by the ITU-T (former CCITT recommendations), and can achieve highly confidential facsimile communication while maintaining the compatibility with the model of another company. The facsimile apparatus includes: confidential code detection means that detects a confidential code added to a predetermined signal among signals received by a data link establishment procedure of facsimile communication, the procedure standardized by the ITU-T; storage means that, when the confidential code has been detected, stores image data to be received subsequent to the signal to which the confidential code has been added, so as to correspond to the confidential code; input means that inputs a confidential code; and image data output means that, when the input means has input a confidential code, reads and outputs image data stored in the storage means so as to correspond to the input confidential code.
In addition, a storage medium is known that has stored therein a utility program for performing the process of changing the settings of a peripheral device connected to a PC and the process of confirming the settings of the peripheral device. The storage medium performs: a storage process for holding in advance a list describing product names of the peripheral device; an acquisition process for acquiring a product name of a peripheral device connected to the PC when the PC has been started; and a comparison process for comparing the product name acquired by the acquisition process, with the product names described in the list held in the storage process. If, as a result of the comparison in the comparison process, the product names match each other, a transition is made to main processing.
Image forming apparatuses such as multifunction peripherals, copying machines, and printers are developed by multiple companies. The specifications and the forms of the image forming apparatuses, however, are different between the companies. Thus, if a conventionally used image forming apparatus of a company is replaced by an image forming apparatus of another company, a user may feel confused until the user becomes accustomed to using the image forming apparatus of the other company.
Here, examples of the differences between the image forming apparatuses of the companies include function names. The function names depend greatly on the specifications of the image forming apparatuses of the companies, and therefore particularly have a variety among the companies. Meanwhile, although the function names of the image forming apparatuses are different among the companies, the contents of the functions are, under current circumstances, substantially equivalent to one another.
In light of such current circumstances, when, after the above replacement has been performed, the user uses the image forming apparatus after the replacement, the user tends to set a condition using the function name of the current image forming apparatus based on the function name of the previously used image forming apparatus. In this case, the function name of the previous image forming apparatus and the function name of the current image forming apparatus are different from each other, and therefore, the user cannot smoothly set the condition.
In addition, if the function name of the current image forming apparatus is so different from the function name of the previous image forming apparatus that the user cannot guess the function name of the current image forming apparatus from the function name of the previous image forming apparatus, the user may not be able to input the setting condition of a desired function without noticing a function name desired by the user even though the desired function name is displayed on an operation panel.